Ranavirosis is a disease of high concern for amphibians due to widespread documentation of its lethal and sublethal impacts and its high transmission potential across populations and species. We investigated whether spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) ranavirus prevalence and viral load were associated with habitat characteristics, genetic diversity, corticosterone levels, and body size. In 2015 and 2016, we sampled 34 recently created vernal pools in the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, USA. We collected tail clippings from 1,128 spotted salamander larvae and waterborne hormone samples from 436 of those larvae, along with eight environmental characteristics of the pools. Over the 2-yr period, we detected ranavirus in 62% of pools, with prevalence ranging from 0% to 63% (mean, 7.68%). Spotted salamander size was positively correlated with ranavirus presence and viral load; however, we did not find associations between ranavirus prevalence or viral load and habitat characteristics, spotted salamander genetic diversity, relatedness, effective number of breeders, or corticosterone levels. The widespread occurrence of ranavirus in the vernal pools illustrates the potential for rapid natural introduction of the pathogen to created wetlands. Managers could consider monitoring local distributions of ranavirus before creation of new vernal pools to guide strategic placement of the wetlands to minimize occurrence and prevalence of this pathogen.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-22-00032 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Article Synopsis
- The decline of amphibian biodiversity is largely due to habitat loss, with vernal pools being critical ecosystems often neglected in wetland protection.
- This study monitored wood frogs and spotted salamanders in both natural and created vernal pools over nine years, assessing reproductive success and genetic diversity.
- Results show that well-designed created pools can support amphibian populations effectively, while poorly designed ones can hinder them, highlighting the importance of specific ecological factors in restoration efforts.
Isolation and Characterization of a Frog Virus 3 Strain from a Wood Frog () in Wood Buffalo National Park.
Viruses
September 2024
Department of Biology, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
Article Synopsis
- Members of the family and genus mentioned are important emerging pathogens affecting both ecology and the economy.
- In 2017, a die-off of wood and boreal chorus frogs in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park was linked to a newly identified ranavirus (RSR) with a significant genetic similarity to the well-known frog virus 3 (FV3).
- The study emphasizes the relevance of detailed viral genomic analysis, especially for understanding the distribution and genetic traits that influence how these viruses may infect different host species and cause disease.
Ups and downs of fossorial life: migration restlessness and geotaxis may explain overwintering emergence in the spotted salamander.
J Exp Biol
November 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada, L2S 3A1.
To decide whether to remain underground or to emerge from overwintering, fossorial ectotherms simultaneously process environmental, gravitational and circannual migratory cues. Here, we provide an experimental framework to study the behaviour of fossorial ectotherms during soil temperature inversion - a phenomenon that marks the transition between winter and spring - based on three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses (thermoregulation, negative geotaxis and migration restlessness). Using a vertical thermal gradient, we evaluated how temperature selection (Tsel), activity and vertical position selection differed under simulated soil temperature inversion (contrasting the active versus overwintering thermal gradients) in the spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe presence of microplastics in Baran's newt (Neurergus barani Öz, 1994) and the spotted newt (Neurergus strauchii Steindachner, 1887).
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
September 2024
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, 09010, Kepez, Aydın, Türkiye.
Microplastics (MPs), tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, have emerged as a common and worrying pollutant in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments worldwide. In this study, we revealed the microplastic exposure of two endemic newt species for Türkiye. We found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the predominant microplastic polymer type in both species, with the blue fiber shape in particular.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeasonal variation of behavioural thermoregulation in a fossorial salamander ().
R Soc Open Sci
September 2024
Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada.
Temperature seasonality plays a pivotal role in shaping the thermal biology of ectotherms. However, we still have a limited understanding of how ectotherms maintain thermal balance in the face of varying temperatures, especially in fossorial species. Due to thermal buffering underground, thermal ecology theory predicts relaxed selection pressure over thermoregulation in fossorial ectotherms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!